Laura Vinson, a veteran country music singer-songwriter from Alberta, Canada, has passed away.
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According to her online obituary, Vinson died “suddenly” on July 17. No cause of death was disclosed. She was 79.
Vinson, born in Edmonton and raised in Brule, Alberta, found success as a country music performer. She performed with her band Red Wyng and later as an Aboriginal artist with her band Free Spirit. She was known as “The Rocky Mountain Lady” by friends and fans, per Billboard.
Vinson began her career in the Alberta music scene with singer-songwriter Bob Ruzicka. In 1977, she released her debut album, First Flight, on Royalty Records, produced by R. Harlan Smith. She went on to release several successful albums and singles with the label.
Vinson had 14 singles with Royalty Records that charted on the RPM Country Charts, including Top 10 hits like “Mes Amis O Canada,” “Sweet Mountain Music,” and “High Fashion Queen.” She also released two duet singles with Dave Martineau on Stereotype and Homestead Records.
Laura Vinson Embraces Her Indigenous Heritage
In 1989, she performed on Indian Time, a TV special about Indigenous Canadian music. She later focused on music reflecting her Indigenous heritage, releasing several albums with the band Free Spirit. Her MĂ©tis heritage included Cherokee, Cree, English, and French roots.
A bio on her website points out that in 1996, after her country music career, Vinson created a theatre show based on her acclaimed album Voices On The Wind. Inspired by her Native roots, the show became an international success, touring globally in South Korea, the U.S., Australia, and Europe.
She also received six Juno Award nominations: two for Most Promising Female Vocalist (1980, 1981) and four for Country Female Vocalist of the Year (1981, 1982, 1983, 1985). She was also nominated for Top Female Artist at the 1981 Big Country Awards and won multiple Alberta Recording Industry Association Awards.
In 2005, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alberta Women of Country Music. In 2020, she was also inducted into the Country Music Alberta Hall of Fame.